The ghost of his past
by DracoJane
Summary: The mist is warm and flickering around him, and suddenly he hears some echoes through the mist. Zoro turns ready to unsheath his katana but realises that there was no need... He whispers the name of the ghost of his past... "Kuina."


Sorry guys, I havn't been updating much on my other story "Challenge accepted" I have been getting major writters block on that one and so therefore I keep writting minnie stories like this one. I loved writting this story, it was so sweet and it really touched me as I was writting it. I realise I havn't been true to my own heart after writting this one, but I promise I will try harder to be more true to my heart and own creativity :)

Diclaimer: I do not own One Piece

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Zoro stood in the steaming air, a fog surrounded him as he began sliding the last katana into its sheath, and it made a small clunk as the handle tapped the rim.

The mist around him was not the cold kind, it was warm and steamy yet it was a fog tinting with a slight pink from the temperature.

Zoro turned his head slightly, still sweating, to look down at his victory. A man laid on the steaming ground unconscious, barely alive. Zoro by right should have killed him, but for some reason he couldn't bring himself to do so. He stared at the man for a few moments, and then proceeded to walk past him.

Before departing from the fog forever Zoro took another look at his enemy, he felt a sense of emptiness now, what would he do now that he had finally defeated the greatest swordsman in the world and henceforth taken his place?

Mihawk looked so harmless lying on the ground as he was; he laid on his chest both arms extending in front of him lazily in random positions. He looked relaxed, his usually intimidating eyes closed in an eternal sleep. Zoro sensed that he was finally gone.

A small smug smirk caressed his face, his one eye opening with the gleam of victory. He had finally done it; he was now, the greatest swordsman in the world.

Zoro turned his back on Mihawk for the last time, and walked away into the thick mist before him.

Whispers started to softly echo through the fog but Zoro payed no heed. He just kept walking in the direction he thought the Sunny Go was.

The whispers grew louder the further he walked, until he felt a strange presence that was neither alive nor dead.

He instinctively wrapped his hand around his katana, his thumb on the handle ready to unsheathe his weapon. Zoro turned around and what he saw was not quite what he had expected.

A woman stood before him, large beautiful dark eyes, and long dark blue hair. She smiled at him kindly, she didn't seem to be posing any threat, but Zoro looked at her and glared.

"Tashigi?" He growled, but the woman smiled brighter and shook her head gently.

Her words were like humming, everything she said echoed into a void of emptiness as though Zoro was in a dream.

Her eyes started to tear, "You finally did it." Her words echoed. It was then that Zoro noticed the transparency of her figure, the flickering puffs of fog illuminating through her.

"Kuina?" He whispered with disbelief.

The woman kept smiling and nodded.

Zoro started to quiver slightly, this couldn't be his childhood friend. She was dead, and Zoro didn't believe in a God nor an afterlife.

He distinctly reached out for her, his hand shaking. The whispers of his mind echoed 'This can't be. I have to be dreaming.'

His hand rested on her cold cheek, and it tingled with the contact, but she was just that, a spirit. He couldn't touch her skin because she didn't have any, but he could feel her presence, and see her form. That was enough for him.

"Kuina..." He started to tear up, but he didn't want to. Zoro wasn't the kind of man who was comfortable with crying in front of others, but he couldn't help it. He prevented the last lot of tears from falling and went to speak further but his words stuttered through the tears he was keeping at bay. Soft echoing hummed through the air before Kuina continued.

"I knew you would do it," She now became teary; she clasped her hand over her mouth as the tears fell. "I knew you would do it." She gasped through tears.

Zoro went to rest his hand on her shoulder, though he felt his hand slide through. He could feel the sharp sting of the misty coldness that was now her form.

She reached out hesitantly, her hand shaking, Kuina was reaching for his cheek and when she reached it he could feel her shacking against his flesh.

He trembled and went to pull her into a hug forgetting that she was not physically there, so he felt himself embracing air, but she was there, in his arms. Her soul was spreading right through him, she stood where she was, her eyes large with surprise. Kuinas 'body' was right through him and if it had of been there she would have been head first into his chest in the embrace. Zoro went to look up, his head passing through hers before staring straight into her eyes.

Kuina started to cry more fluidly, "I have to go now," She sobbed, her hand cupped his cheek and she kissed it gently. "But one day...one day..." She quivered. "I will see you again."

Zoro didn't say anything, he just stared at her face, gobsmacked, he didn't want her to go. Why now?

"Good bye." She sobbed, as her form and figure evaporated into the mist, and she was gone.


End file.
